Judith with the head of Holofernes

Judith with the head of Holofernes

Titles

Judith with the head of Holofernes

[CDA 2012]

Judith

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, No. 234]

Jael kills Sissera

[Schuchardt 1851 C, 24]

Painting on beech wood (Fagus sp.)

Medium

Painting on beech wood (Fagus sp.)

[Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten, Berlin - Brandenburg, revised 2011]

The painting depicts the old testament heroin Judith as a half-length figure in contemporary dress. She is inclined slightly to the left and holds a sword in her right hand. In her left hand she holds the decapitated head of Holoferenes, which lies on a sort of balustrade in front

The painting depicts the old testament heroin Judith as a half-length figure in contemporary dress. She is inclined slightly to the left and holds a sword in her right hand. In her left hand she holds the decapitated head of Holoferenes, which lies on a sort of balustrade in front of her.

The background is dark, but the window on the right indicates that she is standing in a room. The window opens out onto a mountainous landscape with a castle.

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten, Berlin - Brandenburg, revised 2011]

Production date
1530

Production date

1530

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 74.9 x 56 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 74.9 x 56 cm

  • [Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten, Berlin - Brandenburg, revised 2011]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia below the window: winged serpent (with elevated wings) and date '1530'

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia below the window: winged serpent (with elevated wings) and date '1530'

Owner
Stiftung Preussische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg
Repository
Grunewald hunting lodge
Location
Grunewald
CDA ID
DE_SPSG_GKI1182
FR (1978) Nr.
FR234
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SPSG_GKI1182/

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Prague 2016 145
EditorOlga Kotková
TitleCranach. Ze všech stran. From all sides.
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2016
Pages16-180
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011 25-26 Fig. 6
AuthorMartin Schawe
EditorBayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen
TitleCranach in Bayern
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2011
Show Literature
Schade, Schuttwolf 1994 52
AuthorWerner Schade, Allmuth Schuttwolf
TitleMalerei und Plastik
Publicationin Allmuth Schuttwolf, ed., Gotteswort und Menschenbild. Werke von Cranach und seinen Zeitgenossen, Exhib. Cat. Gotha
Place of PublicationGotha
Year of Publication1994
Pages15-94
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 117 No. 234 Fig. 234
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Börsch-Supan 1974
AuthorHelmut Börsch-Supan
TitleCranachs "Judith" in der Sammlung des Jagdschlosses Grunewald
Publicationin Dieter Koepplin, ed., Lukas Cranach. Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Druckgraphik ; Ausstellung im Kunstmuseum Basel, 15. Juni bis 8. September 1974
Place of PublicationBasel, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1974
Pages413-418
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Basel 1974/1976 413-420 No. 286 Figs. 229, 230
AuthorDieter Koepplin, Tilman Falk
TitleLukas Cranach. Gemälde, Zeichnungen und Druckgraphik
Volume1, 2
Place of PublicationBasel, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1974
Link http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-diglit-104522
Show Literature
Schade 1974 Fig. 157
AuthorWerner Schade
TitleDie Malerfamilie Cranach
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1974
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schade1974
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 193
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1932
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/friedlaender1932
Show Literature
Schuchardt 1851 C 24 34
AuthorChristian Schuchardt
TitleLucas Cranach des Aeltern Leben und Werke. Zweiter Theil
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1851
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schuchardt1851bd2
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

This painting was erroneously entitled ‚Jael‘ by Friedländer and Rosenberg in their monograph from 1932, because the overpaint covered the figure’s attribute of the sword and showed her holding a hammer and nail instead.

In the revised edition from 1979 the painting was already correctly listed as ‘Judith’. An x-radiograph had revealed the extent of the overpaint. However the illustration of the painting shows its condition before restoration.

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932, 66, No. 193]

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 117, No. 234]

  • Judith with the head of Holofernes, 1530

Images

Compare images
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Conservation History

Date1979 -

Remove of overpaintings

[Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011, 25-26]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Judith with the head of Holofernes', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SPSG_GKI1182/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Judith with the head of Holofernes', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SPSG_GKI1182/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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